GlyCarb Remote
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Postprandial Glycaemic response to Carbohydrate-rich meals – A remote monitoring protocol
IRAS ID
290646
Contact name
Cathrina Edwards
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Carbohydrate staple-foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta are a big part of the human diet, but eating too many carbohydrate foods that cause a large spike in blood sugar levels can be bad for health, and can increase risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The overarching aim of the GlyCarb project is to improve our understanding of factors that influence the blood sugar (glycaemic) response to carbohydrate foods. This will be achieved through a series of acute dietary intervention studies, each of which will compare the glycaemic response to a set of test meals.
In the GlyCarb Remote protocol, participants complete the entire study from home. The study team will provide guidance using video conferencing, telephone calls and electronic communication. Participants will be healthy adults with a BMI between 18 and 35 kg/m2 and HbA1C below 47 mmol/mol. Participants may have pre-diabetes, but those with diabetes will be excluded from the study. They must have a smart phone.
In each study, participants will eat six carbohydrate-rich test meals for breakfast on separate days after a 12h fast. All meals will be eaten within a two week period in a randomly allocated order. During this time, the participants will wear a continuous glucose monitor (a small sensor that is applied to the upper arm). This device will monitor body sugar levels, and will provide the data needed to understand how different test meals affect body sugar levels.
Each set of test meals will enable a specific scientific question to be answered, and a sample size calculations will be specific to each study.
Together, all the studies performed under the GlyCarb ‘umbrella’ will give us a better understanding of how food properties affect the blood sugar response. With this new knowledge, it will be easier to design new, healthier carbohydrate food products.REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0138
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion